Power
by emmyrad
Summary: Sam has a secret... she's more powerful than Danny ever could imagine.    What are the secrets behind Sam's new abilities, and will her powers be enough to stop Danny's newest enemy? Rated for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"This is the life," Tucker sighed.

It was a warm and muggy Friday night in Amity Park, and the public pool had closed hours ago. Yet there Danny, Sam, and Tucker were, behind the gates that were locked at sundown, dipping their feet into the pool's lukewarm waters. The three teens wore their swimsuits. The jackets they'd brought along had been tossed aside almost immediately.

"What if there are security cameras around here? We'll be caught for sure," Sam said, the Goth anxiously scanning the area.

"Already taken care of," Tucker said, holding up his PDA. "I hacked into them and shut them down before we came. Just relax, Sam!"

Sam sighed, still worried. She absentmindedly dragged her toe through the pool waters.

"I'm kind of with Sam here," Danny said, his feet fully in the water. "What if our parents notice we're missing? A night trip to the pool hardly seems worth all the trouble we'd be in."

"Chill, Danny. It's, like, 11:00. Our parents are asleep," Tucker said. "Besides, it's about time you did something fun with your ghost powers."

Danny had flown his two friends here, fazing them through the locked gates. It had seemed like a cool idea at the time, but now Danny was feeling unsure. Amity Park at night always gave him the creeps. It seemed like the only reason he was ever out this late was when he was fighting ghosts.

Sam was thinking similarly. Even though she was a self-proclaimed "creature of the night," she knew what her parents would think if they found her gone this late. They'd freak out, make her go to therapy, and find some reason to boycott something. They might even reinstate the restraining order they had on Danny a while ago.

Danny and Sam were both so consumed in their thoughts that they barely noticed Tucker get up beside them.

"Geronimo!" Tucker cried, cannonballing into the pool, getting his friends soaking wet.

"Tucker!" The two cried in unison as the wave of water hit them.

"Oh, you are going to pay for that!" Danny teased, jumping in after his friend. Sam eventually slipped in after the two, and after ten minutes the three were in a full out water war, Danny and Sam ganging up on Tucker.

"No fair! It's two against one!" Tucker cried, fleeing to the opposite site of the pool. "And Danny has ghost powers!"

They laughed as they battled, but eventually the three teens started to tire. They slipped out of the pool, smiling, their stomachs aching from laughing so hard.

"I told you this would be fun," Tucker said, grinning broadly. He dried his hands off on the jacket he brought and promptly picked up his PDA.

It was all downhill from there.

Danny's ghost sense went off, and almost simultaneously a blast of red light knocked Tucker's PDA from his hands.

"Hey!" Tucker cried, but then the red light shot him. Tucker was rocketed back a few feet before he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Tucker!" Danny cried, and turned towards his enemy.

The ghost that had attacked his friend hovered high above them, smiling menacingly down at Danny.

"Danny Phantom," he said. "I've heard so much about you."

"I'm going ghost!" Danny cried, changing into his ghost form. Danny went intangible for a second, letting the water that still hung on him fall to the ground, before flying upwards to meet his new opponent.

The first thing Danny noticed about the ghost was his attire. The ghost wore a fancy-looking jacket and tie, but both items of clothing had burn marks and holes in them. The parts of the ghost's skin that showed through his holey clothing were scratched up and bruised. Overall, the effect was frightening.

"What happened to you?" Danny asked, eying the ghost's injuries.

"Never mind that," the ghost said, scowling. The ghost scrutinized Danny. "Danny Phantom. Somehow I was imagining something… more. Ah, well. At least this will make it easier for me to _kill you_."

"Wait, wait. Who are you? Why haven't I met you before? And what do you have against me and my friends?" Danny said.

"Are you always so nosy, Phantom?" the ghost scowled. "Very well."

"If you must know, the name's Cyrus. You don't know me since I'm fairly new to the Ghost Zone. This is why I must kill you. The other ghosts underestimate me; they treat me like scum. They won't anymore, though, after I tell them I've found and slaughtered none other than _Danny Phantom_!" The ghost let out a horrible, screechy laugh.

"New to the Ghost Zone, eh? Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," Danny said, firing a ghost ray at Cyrus. The ghost quickly dodged the ray, chuckling.

"Don't bother," Cyrus said. "I've been training for this day ever since I first heard your name." The ghost held out his hand, firing his own ectoplasm ray back at Danny, who took the hit in the chest, flying backwards and crashing to the ground.

"Looks like I needn't have worked so hard, though," Cyrus continued, chuckling, as he came to the ground to join Danny. He held his glowing red hand over Danny's chest, ready to finish the ghost-boy off. "You're nothing but an amateur!"

Sam watched from the sidelines, standing next to Tucker, who still lay unconscious. She _hated _this. Hated this! She hated having to watch Danny fight. It was so nerve-racking, so frustrating that she couldn't do anything!

And now it looked as though Danny was almost finished. His eyes were closed, and his jumpsuit was now as burnt and ripped as his enemy's attire. Was he dead? No, she could see his eyes fluttering open now.

_He just needs some time_, she thought, panicked.

"Stop!" She cried, running in between Cyrus and Danny. She tried to shove Cyrus, but of course she couldn't touch him.

Cyrus snorted, moving his hand, glowing red with ectoplasm, to face her.

"Silly girl," he said. "I don't want to kill you, but if you refuse to let me kill your boyfriend…"

"He's _not _my boyfriend," she hissed. "But I'll never let you kill him."

"Very well," the ghost said, preparing to fire his ray.

_I'm going to die_, Sam thought, panicked. _I'm dead. _

_But I'd rather it's me and not Danny._

"No!" she heard Danny cry from behind her. She saw a small green ray shoot past her left side, but it flew harmlessly past Cyrus, who chuckled.

"You're too weak, Phantom. You can't help her anymore…"

_Do something, Manson! _Sam thought fearfully. _This can't be it!_

Suddenly, Sam felt something cold seeping through her veins. She could feel it slowly oozing from her head to her toes.

She felt powerful, possessed by something bigger and more meaningful than her own existence.

Sam eyed the swimming pool behind Cyrus. She concentrated on moving the water in it. Waves rippled in the pool, and suddenly, the water was moving up and out of the pool, forming into a sphere. Sam's eyes widened. Had _she _done that?

"What are you looking at, girl?" Cyrus said, turning around to face the sphere of water behind him.

"Arghh!" He cried, leaping backwards and up into the air in shock.

_I have to finish this,_ Sam thought.

She concentrated on the ball of water, willing it to fly towards the evil ghost…

And it did. The ball of water hit Cyrus like a bowling ball hit pins, and the ghost flew backwards, far, far away.

_Strike._

Meanwhile, the ball of water still floated above them. Sam tried to focus on getting it back to the pool, but she was so tired… she could barely keep it hovering there…

Suddenly, Sam's power gave out, and the ball of water trembled before falling and soaking the premises.

Sam's legs shook. She felt dizzy.

"Sam!" Danny said. He examined Sam, whose back was facing him. She was trembling.

Her legs were going to give out any second now.

Danny stood up, feeling reenergized, and his arms were out just in time to catch Sam when she fainted.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sam awoke in her bed.

_Was it all a dream? Please, let it all have been a dream._

But Sam didn't remembering going to sleep, and her bedroom lights were on. Sam shook her head.

_This is too weird…_

"Sam?" A quiet, familiar voice said.

Sam sat up quickly in shock, crying out. Danny Fenton was sitting on the edge of her bed, his blue eyes brimming with concern.

"Oh. Hi, Danny," she said, scratching her head. "What time is it?"

"About seven in the morning," Danny said. "Your parents don't know I'm here."

"Oh," Sam said. "Where's Tucker?"

"He's fine," Danny said. "I flew him home after the fight. And I flew you home too."

"And that evil ghost, Cyrus?"

"I tracked him down after I got you two home," Danny said. "He's back in the ghost zone now."

"Good," Sam said. She looked up at Danny, waiting for him to say something about what she'd done last night…

"You… you have some explaining to do," Danny finally said.

Sam nodded. Her stomach grumbled.

"How about we talk over breakfast?" Danny suggested. "I hear a new pancake place just opened near the Nasty Burger."

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"…and I'll have the same," Danny said, handing the waitress his menu.

"All right, I'll have that out for you in a second," the waitress said before leaving Sam and Danny to themselves.

Danny swirled his chocolate milkshake around with his straw, watching Sam. Finally, he opened his mouth to break the silence.

"What's going on, Sam? How did you do that last night? What aren't you telling me?" He said. His tone wasn't accusatory, really, but Sam felt guilty all the same.

_I should have told him this earlier._

"Okay, Danny. I don't know how I did that last night. I was as shocked as you were. It was the first time I've done anything like that," Sam said. She paused briefly. "But… I think I know why it might have happened."

Danny nodded, as if to tell her to continue.

"All right," Sam said. "There's something you don't know about the night when you became half-ghost."

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_ "Okay, I showed you the portal. Can we get out of here now? My parents could be back here any minute," Danny said. "Besides, they say it doesn't work anyway."_

_ Sam walked up to the portal, smiling._

_ "Come on, Danny, a ghost zone? Aren't you curious? You gotta check it out!" she said._

_ "You know what? You're right," Danny said. "Who knows what kind of awesome super-cool things exist on the other side of that portal?"_

_ Danny zipped up his black-and-white jumpsuit, grinning._

_ "Hang on," Sam said, ripping off the picture of Jack Fenton on the front of his jumpsuit. "You can't go walking around with _that_ on your chest."_

_ Danny threw one last look at his friends before approaching the portal. He stepped inside, running his hand along the side of the portal, until…_

_ "Aaaughhhhh!"_

_ A flash of green light shone from inside the portal. Sam and Tucker could see Danny's silhouette from the outside of the portal, and his scream echoed throughout the basement._

_ "He's being electrocuted!" Tucker cried._

_ "Tucker, go get help! Quickly!" Sam instructed. Tucker hurried up the stairs. Sam ran to the portal, trying to see inside. Danny wasn't screaming anymore…_

_ Suddenly, everything went dark. The power was out— probably for the whole neighborhood._

_ "Man, that thing takes up a _ton _of energy," Sam said. Her whole body was shaking in fear as she ran inside, falling to her knees beside…_

_ "Danny?" She turned over the boy that lay here in the portal… who didn't appear to be Danny. His hair was white, and he was wearing a primarily black jumpsuit with white details instead of vice-versa. He also seemed to be glowing. _

_ But no, this was Danny. She could tell. His face was the same, and after all, who else could this be? She didn't know what had happened to him, but right now that wasn't important. She just needed to know he was okay._

_ Suddenly, the power came on again, the portal buzzed to life, and Sam was being electrocuted._

_Sam screamed as her whole body shook with electric currents. Why hadn't she unplugged the portal before she came in? Why?_

_Sam began to crawl toward the portal entrance, dragging Danny along with her. Her whole world was shaking. And there was so much pain, so much pain! It felt like she was being stabbed by a million pins and needles. Like when your foot falls asleep, only a million times worse._

_But she needed to get out of there. She needed to get Danny out of there._

_Finally, Sam escaped from the portal, dragging Danny out behind her. She was still on her hands and knees, and she hung her head, gasping for breath as lights flashed behind her eyes._

_After ten or so minutes, Sam felt well enough to stand. She slowly got up, almost collapsing as she did. She rushed into the basement bathroom and puked in the toilet. She stood up and stumbled over to the sink. She splashed some water on her face and examined herself in the mirror._

_Thank goodness- she looked exactly the same. What had happened to Danny then? Why did he look so… different? She wandered back to where Danny lay._

_ It was then that Tucker ran back downstairs, unsuccessful in getting any help. He'd tried calling 911, but the power was out._

_ "Sam! Danny! Wait… Danny?"_

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"You woke up a few minutes later, so the rest you know," Sam finished.

"So… you're…?" Danny was staring at her, wide-eyed. He'd listened to her whole story without interruption, but now his head was spinning.

"No, I'm not half-ghost. I felt a little funny for the week after that, but then I started feeling normal again, so I figured nothing had happened... obviously, I was mistaking," Sam explained.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Danny asked.

"You remember how much you were freaking out those first few weeks after it happened. I didn't want to stress you out anymore than you already were. I mean, I tried to tell you a few times, but… you know. It just didn't seem so important, compared to what had happened to you," Sam shrugged. "After a while, I kind of just forgot about it."

Danny stared at her, blinking. He'd always known Sam was powerful, but apparently, he didn't know that half of it.

The waitress came up then, giving them their food, so the conversation went on hold for a while. While Danny was processing what she said, Sam was wondering what Danny was thinking. Would he be mad at her for not telling him? Would he think she was a freak?

Once the waitress had left them alone, Sam looked up at Danny. He was staring at his pancakes, his eyes glazed over.

"Danny?" Sam said, reaching across the table to take his hand. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Danny said, smiling weakly at her as he met her gaze. "It's just… a lot to take in."

"Look, Danny, you really don't have to worry about me," Sam said. "I'll be fine. I'm sure that was just some… freak occurrence. I've gone this long without it affecting my life, so I can go a little longer."

"No, Sam, this is serious. Don't you remember how unstable my power was the first month I had it? And you're so powerful… you could really hurt somebody," Danny said. "And… also… that ghost last night… Cyrus… well, he wasn't too happy about what you did to him."

"He wasn't? What happened?"

"I dropped you and Tucker off at your houses, and then I went out and found him. He was really weakened from your attack— he'd hit the ground hard. It was easy to suck him into the Fenton Thermos. But before I got him in, he said something."

"Which was…?" Sam queried after a pause.

"He said he'd kill you," Danny said. "He said that he wouldn't rest until the both of us were dead."

"Jeesh. That ghost sure has a temper on him," said Sam lightly. She wasn't sure that she liked the look on Danny's face.

"Sam…"

"Danny, I can take care of myself," Sam assured him. "Besides, even if I couldn't, I'll always have you, right?"

Danny nodded.

"Okay. But no more secrets, all right?" Danny said. "If you feel funny, or you do anything else…"

"You'll be the first to know," Sam assured him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Life went on as usual, and that weekend passed without any ghostly occurrences.

But when Monday arrived, Sam still felt a little off. Over the weekend, she'd noticed that whenever she felt particularly passionate about something, whether she was happy or sad or angry about it, she felt this rush of cold power seeping through her veins. It was the same thing that happened the night of the attack before she'd manipulated the water. She also grew tired easily, which wasn't usual for the physically fit girl. Even walking to her first period class, which was gym, made her exhausted.

In gym class, Sam was pleased to learn that they were just playing dodgeball. She loved dodgeball, and she was glad they weren't doing anything super-physical. She was exhausted already.

Danny and Tucker, however, were frantic.

"Oh, god, we're going to die," Tucker said. The techno-geek's eyes were wide as he examined the opposing team, which was made up almost entirely of jocks.

Danny, too, was looking more than a little freaked out. Dash was smirking at Danny from the opposite side of the gym. Danny rubbed the back of his neck, nervous. He had a feeling he was in for a lot of pain in the next forty-five minutes.

"Relax, you two," Sam said to her friends. "I've got this covered. Watch and learn."

The whistle blew, and everybody rushed for the balls, which were placed in the center of the gym. Sam managed to grab one, but soon Dash had rushed forward and scooped up all of the rest.

"Dash! You can't grab all of the balls at once!" Sam cried, angrily.

"Oh yeah?" Dash said, throwing a ball at her. Sam ducked, and the ball flew over her head.

Dash growled and started throwing the rest of his balls at the Goth. Sam ran across the gym, narrowly avoiding his throws.

However, the rest of her team was suffering. Tucker had been pegged by Dash's first throw, and several of the other nerds on her team were out too. Danny was still in, thankfully, but as Sam looked around, it seemed that she and Danny were the only ones left.

Luckily, all of the balls were now on their side.

"Danny, quick! Help me gather these up and throw them!" Sam said, determined to teach Dash a lesson. Danny nodded and helped her collect the balls. The other team had scattered. The girls were hiding in the back, and the jocks had congregated to the front.

Sam and Danny started throwing the balls.

Dash managed to evade their throws, but Sam hit a few of the other jocks. Danny's throws were a little weaker than Sam's, and he didn't hit anybody. Most of his throws ended up rolling to the back of gym. The popular girls cowering in the back squealed whenever a ball rolled their way, shrinking away from them as if they were time-bombs.

"That's it, nerds; you're going down," Dash said, picking up a ball and chucking it at Danny. It hit Danny in the stomach, and Danny fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

Sam rushed over to Danny, forgetting that they were playing dodgeball. Dash pegged her in the back, and she landed on top of Danny when she fell.

Sam look back to glare at Dash, who was now gloating along with the rest of his team. She felt that cold rush of power run through her, and she welcomed it. She wanted Dash to pay…

A few seconds later, the dodgeballs in the room were hovering over Dash, who screamed.

"Ghosts!" He cried as the balls pummeled him, pushing him to the ground.

Sam only then realized what she'd done. She was still on top of Danny, and she turned to meet his gaze, wide-eyed and apologetic.

"It's fine, Sam," Danny said, sighing.

Sam rolled off of Danny. Almost everybody in the gym had fled, including Dash, believing that a ghost had done this. Only Sam, Tucker, and Danny remained.

"What are you doing, Danny?" Tucker said, waving his arms around wildly. "There's a ghost! Why aren't you doing your thing?"

"There's no ghost," Danny said. "That was Sam."

"Huh?" Tucker said.

Sam and Danny exchanged a look.

"We owe him an explanation," Danny said to Sam. They both looked to Tucker.

"What is it?" The tech geek asked.

So the two teens explained everything to Tucker, from Sam's accident in the portal to today's mishap.

"So, you have, like, ghostly telekinesis?" Tucker clarified.

"I guess so," Sam said, shrugging. "I honestly don't know much about the powers. After today, I don't really want to. It seems they've taken on a mind of their own."

"That's _awesome_!" Tucker cried. "Imagine what you could do with that kind of power!"

"Exactly," Danny said. "She could do some really bad stuff. I trust _you_ Sam… but I don't trust these new powers."

"That makes two of us," Sam said.

"Aw, lighten up, you two!" Tucker said. "Danny was electrocuted by the Ghost Portal, too, and he's fine!"

"I was lucky," Danny said.

"Maybe Tucker's right," Sam said, after a pause. "I'll be fine, I think. I've been fine this long, right?"

Danny looked skeptical.

"Maybe if I learn to control these powers, they won't be such a problem anymore," Sam continued, watching her two friends.

"We can help you do that," Tucker said.

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After school, the teens went to Danny's house, where Tucker set up a line of empty soda cans on the ground in the basement. Tucker found some chairs for himself and Danny and they took a seat. Sam stood in front of the cans, feeling awkward as both Danny and Tucker watched her intently.

"Okay, Sam. Try moving one of the cans," Tucker said.

Sam concentrated as hard as she could, trying to get the can to move. She couldn't. After a minute or two, she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"I can't," she said. "I think I can only do it when I'm worked up about something. When I first did it, I was scared for my life. Today I was really angry."

Danny spoke up for the first time since they'd gotten to his house.

"Try thinking about some time you were really emotional, then, and concentrate on that," Danny suggested. "Maybe that would work."

"Do you _want_ it to work?" Sam said, raising her eyebrow skeptically at Danny. "I thought you disapproved of all of this."

"It's not that I disapprove. It's just… I don't want you to get hurt," Danny said.

There was a pause.

"Okay, I'll try it," Sam said.

She tried to get that feeling of power she got before she made those things happen. She thought of how angry people like Dash and Paulina made her, she thought of how annoyed her parents made her… nothing was working.

She looked at Danny and Tucker, about to tell them that she gave up, that there was no way she'd be able to manufacture that feeling… but then she saw Danny. His eyes were full of concern, but when he saw her looking at him, he smiled at her reassuringly.

She loved that smile, and she loved how sweet Danny was being throughout this whole process. She remembered what he'd said earlier- _I don't want you to get hurt._

Suddenly, she felt the familiar overwhelming chill of strength culminating in her body. _Yes! _

She redirected her gaze to the first can in the row, knocking it backwards.

"Yes!" Tucker said. "Now, try picking up two of them at once."

Sam nodded, focusing her energy on the next two cans in the row, making them levitate.

"It's getting easier," Sam said, grinning.

"This is awesome!" Tucker said. Even Danny looked excited now.

"Hey, Tucker, watch this!" Sam said suddenly. She picked the techno-geek off the ground, flying him across the room.

"Whoa!" Tucker cried as he was lifted off of the ground. "Let me down!"

By the time Sam let Tucker down, Tucker was queasy and Danny and Sam were laughing so hard tears were coming from their eyes.

"That wasn't funny!" Tucker said.

"Oh, yes it was," Sam said, but her words were barely comprehendible, she was laughing so hard.

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The three teens hung out for another hour before Tucker had to go home.

"Want a ride?" Danny said, turning into a ghost in preparation to fly his friend home.

"No, I actually think I'll walk," Tucker said. "Dodgeball was humiliating today— I was the first one out, in case you didn't notice! I need to get in shape. See ya!"

Tucker walked up the stairs. Sam and Danny waited until they heard the front door shut to burst out laughing.

"Let's see how long _that _lasts," Sam said. "He probably won't go a block before coming back and begging you to fly him home."

The two laughed for a few more minutes before finally calming enough to talk seriously.

"I'm still worried about you, you know," Danny said.

"Really?" Sam responded. "What else is new?"

Danny grinned at her.

"I know I'm being overprotective but… you know. You remember Dark Danny. Sometimes power can change people. I just don't want to lose Sam," Danny said.

"I'm not going to make a habit of pummeling Dash with dodgeballs, if that's what you mean," Sam said.

Danny laughed.

"Actually, that _was_ pretty funny," Danny said. "Did you see his face when those dodgeballs started hovering?"

And then they were laughing again, for what seemed like the millionth time that night.

After another half-hour of chatting, they heard the front door open.

"Sounds like my parents are back," Danny said. "Want me to fly you home?"

"Sure," Sam said.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They flew over Amity Park, Danny's arm around Sam's waist as they soared across the town.

Flying really was great. There's a reason people always dream about it.

For some reason, Sam felt like she needed to say something.

"Hey, Danny?" she said.

"Yeah?" Danny responded almost immediately.

"Thanks," Sam said, after a pause.

"For what?" Danny wondered, shifting his gaze over to the girl his arm was draped around.

Sam hadn't anticipated this question. She thought about it for a few moments.

"I don't know. Just for being here," Sam finally said.

Danny smiled at Sam, and Sam blushed.

_Gosh, what is with me? _Sam wondered. _Danny is my best friend. Why am I suddenly going all goofy when he smiles at me?_

Sam shook her head, trying to think of something else. But all she could think of was Danny.

How nice Danny was.

How funny Danny was.

How cute Danny was.

_I'm all mixed up_, Sam said. _I _can't _feel that way about Danny._ _I _don't _feel that way about Danny_.

So why did it feel like she did?

"Sam?" Danny's voice cut into her thoughts. "We're almost at your house."

Sam looked up at Danny and caught his gaze. Some emotion swelled up in her... Sam didn't even want to put a name on it.

Danny slowly started descending, and soon the two teens were on the ground, a few yards away from Sam's house. The sun was just starting to set, and the sky appeared almost orange.

Sam and Danny stood facing each other, not really knowing what else to say, just knowing that they didn't want to say goodbye yet.

"Sam?"

And then they were kissing. Sam wasn't really sure who'd stepped in first, but less than a second they were closer than ever before.

By the time they broke apart, the sun had set and the moon was rising. Sam's hand was still in Danny's, and the two teens blushed.

"So… see you tomorrow, then," Sam said.

"Yeah, tomorrow," said Danny, who was smiling goofily. "See you then."

"'Kay," Sam said, giggling. Sam _never _giggled.

Danny smiled at her once more before jumping up and flying away. Sam waited until he was nothing more than a speck in the distance before retreating into her home.

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"What is with you two today?" Tucker asked Sam and Danny at lunch the next day. "Am I missing something here?"

"Nope," Sam said immediately.

"Definitely not," Danny seconded.

"Good," Tucker said, returning to his food.

Sam had forgotten to pack herself a lunch today, and she refused to eat anything the cafeteria served. Her stomach growled, wanting food. Sam sighed.

"Why don't you just go get something from the second-floor vending machine?" Danny asked. "It has candy bars and stuff. I know it wouldn't be the most wholesome lunch…"

"…but it'll have to do," Sam agreed. "I'll be right back."

She grabbed her backpack and left the cafeteria. Danny watched her as she walked away, wondering when he'd have a chance to kiss her again…

"Spill," Tucker said.

"Huh?"

"I know something's going on between you two," Tucker said. "I'm not _stupid_."

Danny opened his mouth to lie to Tucker, but Tucker's expression stopped him.

_How can I be so stupid? Tucker's my best friend. I can't keep something as big as _this _from him._

"Okay, we kissed," Danny said. "It just kinda… happened."

"Ha! I knew it!" Tucker cried, triumphant.

"Don't tell her I told you," Danny said. "She'll probably kill me."

"You're half-ghost, dude," Tucker said. "I don't think she could kill you."

"She's stronger than you think, Tucker," Danny said. "Especially with this new power of hers..."

"Oh, yeah, about that," Tucker said. "I was thinking maybe we could go to your house after school again. You know, since we made so much progress yesterday…"

"I guess so," said Danny, rubbing the back of his neck before speaking again. "Tucker, I'm worried about Sam. This new power is going to make her the target of all kinds of ghosts. I just don't want Sam in any danger."

"If you're so stressed about it, why don't you just make her wear the Fenton Specter Deflector?" Sam said, referring to the thick belt that his parents had manufactured. "That should repel any ghosts that try to hurt her."

"Good idea, Tucker!" Danny said, fishing through his backpack and taking out the belt.

Sam came back into the cafeteria and sat down with her friends, her pockets filled with candy.

"Anybody want one?" She said, holding out a candy bar. Tucker immediately grabbed the candy bar from Sam. Sam laughed.

"Um, Sam? Would you mind wearing this?" asked Danny, holding up the Fenton Specter Deflector. "I'd feel a little better if I knew that those evil ghosts couldn't touch you…"

"I guess," said Sam, sighing, as she took the belt and put it on.

Suddenly, the cafeteria shook. People screamed, and a whole flock of people started fleeing through the emergency exit. Danny, Sam, and Tucker simply stood, watching as a green pool of ectoplasm that had appeared on the ground formed into a ghost. It was Cyrus.

"You again!" Danny cried, looking around to check that everybody was out of the cafeteria before going ghost.

"Yes, me!" Cyrus boomed. "Didn't I tell you I'd be back? Didn't I tell you I'd kill you and that wretched little girlfriend of yours?"

Danny shot up into the air and shot his ghost ray at his enemy, who easily swerved to dodge it.

"I wonder which of you I should slaughter first?" Cyrus said, contemplating. "Perhaps I'll kill the girl to start, and let you watch. Yes, that sounds nice."

The ghost swooped down to where Sam stood, trying to grab Sam, only to be painfully electrocuted by the Specter Deflector.

"Aaargh!" cried the ghost.

"Ha!" Danny said. "You can't even touch her!"

"Don't need to," the ghost said, recovered from the shock.

Cyrus summoned a floating, green cage. The cage was as tall as Sam. It floated on top of Sam, closing underneath her. Sam gripped the bars. She was trapped!

"Danny!" she cried. She tried to move something, anything, with her mind, but she couldn't.

_Why can't I use my powers? _She wondered.

"Let her go!" Danny cried. The ghost laughed.

"I'll see you soon, Phantom," the ghost said, disappearing.

The cafeteria was quiet again. Danny could hear police sirens outside, growing louder. He could hear the buzz of the teens outside, who were still freaked out by the ghost attack.

He could still hear Sam's screams, echoing through his skull.

_Danny!_

"Where… where do you think he took her?" Tucker said. Both of the boys were still staring at the spot where Cyrus had disappeared.

"I don't know, but I'd be willing to bet they're back in the Ghost Zone," Danny said.

Yes. They were in the Ghost Zone, Danny was sure of it. Where else could the two of them have gone?

"I'm going after her," Danny said, already going ghost and flying out of the cafeteria. "See you soon, Tuck!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

No matter how many times you visited it, the Ghost Zone never got any less creepy. The widespread, green-tinted dimension always made Danny nervous.

Now that he was here, he really didn't know where he was going to start his search. The Ghost Zone was huge; Danny had no clue how he was going to find Sam.

"But he _wanted _me to come after her," Danny said, rubbing the back of his neck as he hovered in the Ghost Zone. "Maybe he's left me some clues…"

Suddenly, Danny noticed a small ghost flying towards him. The ghost looked to be about Youngblood's age, but he didn't look nearly as mischievous. He wore a button-up-shirt and jeans, and as he approached, he looked down at his feet shyly. Danny quickly decided that this ghost was not an enemy.

"Are you Danny Phantom?" the ghost said timidly.

"That's me," Danny said.

"This is for you," the little ghost said, quickly handing him a piece of paper. It was a formal invitation from Cyrus, inviting Danny to join him in battle and finish what they'd started. It had directions.

"Thanks," said Danny. The little ghost nodded with a jerk of his head before disappearing in a puff of green smoke.

"All right," Danny said. "Let's do this."

dpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpx

"Let me go!" Sam cried, pressing herself against the bars of her cage.

"Not yet, girl," The ghost growled.

The cage Sam stood in sat on a wide rock that floated through the ghost zone. Her captor hovered above her cage. If she craned her neck, she could just barely see him wringing his fingers, keeping watch for Danny.

Sam had been trying to escape the cage since they'd arrived here. She knew that humans could go intangible in the Ghost Zone, so she'd tried, but to no success. Cyrus had laughed and told her that her cage was "human-proof."

Cyrus now stared off into the distance, looking a little worried.

"He'll be here soon," Cyrus said. "I'm sure of it."

"Of course he'll be here," Sam spat back. "He'll come, and he'll kill you!"

"How can you be so certain?" Cyrus said, swooping down to face his captive. "The last few times I battled him, he was no match for me! You saw how much better I was than him. In fact, if it hadn't been for you, your beloved Phantom would already be dead!"

Cyrus chuckled, as if this were such a pleasurable topic of conversation. For him, it probably was. Sam scowled at her captor.

"Speaking of which, I did expect more of a fight from you," Cyrus said. "Why aren't you trying to defeat me yourself?"

"I can't… I can't use my powers," Sam said. It was true. She'd been concentrating as hard as she could for the past forty-five minutes, but to no avail.

"Shame," Cyrus said, flying back upwards and out of Sam's view. "I was really hoping for a challenge."

Sam sighed, looking off into the distance, trying to see a spot of black and white jumpsuit among the green haze of the ghost zone.

_Where is he?_

dpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpx

Not ten minutes later, Danny finally came. Cyrus noticed Danny's approach before Sam did. Cyrus chuckled darkly as he saw the boy approach. Sam stuck her head out of her cage just in time to see Danny zoom up to Cyrus.

"Let her go," Danny said.

"I'd prefer not to, actually," Cyrus said. "How about you tell me how to get that infernal belt off of her, and then we could discuss her freedom."

"You'd kill her," Danny said.

"In a heartbeat," the ghost confirmed.

Suddenly, everything was green as red as the first rays were fired. Sam's position gave her a very limited view of the battle; she cursed as she tried unsuccessfully to see the fight.

_I need to help Danny! Why aren't my powers working?_

Sam was sprung from her thoughts when she heard Danny scream. She looked out of her cage to see Danny crashing down onto the floor. Cyrus zoomed after Danny and soon had him pinned to the ground.

"Phantom," Sam heard Cyrus hiss. "Tell me how I can remove the belt your girlfriend is wearing, or perish." The ghost raised a glowing red hand over Danny's chest threateningly.

_The belt!_

Sam eyed the Specter Deflector around her waist. Maybe it was blocking her from using her powers!

Quickly, she undid the belt and threw it aside. Immediately, she felt the cold heat of fear and fury spiraling through her body, and she knew her powers were back.

She concentrated on her cage, and in a few seconds, she'd bent the glowing green bars of the cage back with her mind. She stepped out of her cage and rushed towards the two ghosts who fought in front of her.

"Danny!" she cried.

"How did you escape?"Cyrus cried.

Only then did Cyrus notice that Sam had removed the Specter Deflector. Cyrus lunged toward her, but she lunged out of the way.

Sam got back to her feet and focused on the ghost. With her mind, she threw him up high into the air, only to bring him crashing back down to the earth again. The ghost cried out as he struck the ground. The floating platform they were on shook around them.

Sam fished through her backpack, trying to find her Fenton Thermos… when suddenly she was shot back by a red ray of light.

"Aaaaugh!" Sam cried, flying backwards. Her hand was still in her backpack, and when she landed, she quickly located her Fenton Thermos.

_Sweet!_

But then another ghost ray hit her, and she flew backwards yet again. She flew off of the platform, barely managing to cling on to the edge. The Fenton Thermos fell of the platform, dropping into the abyss.

Sam hung on for dear life.

"Hang on, Sam!" she heard Danny cry.

She couldn't hold on any longer, though. Her fingers were slipping. The jagged piece of rock she was hanging on to was cutting her fingers.

_Maybe, if I concentrate hard… I could move Tucker, and Cyrus. What if I could move myself?_

And then Sam couldn't hold on anymore. Sam held her breath and let go of the platform.

"Aaaaugh!" she screamed as she fell.

"Sam!" she heard Danny cry.

_Concentrate, Manson… concentrate!_

Sam closed her eyes and focused as she plummeted into the emptiness below.

dpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpx

Danny couldn't believe it.

_She's gone._

Cyrus still had Danny pinned to the ground with his foot. Danny couldn't move; he couldn't save her.

"No!" Danny cried, pure agony settling in as he realized what had happened.

"Yes," Cyrus said, chortling. "She's gone, Phantom. And now I can finish you off as well."

"Not so fast!" a very familiar voice said.

"Sam!" Danny cried, relieved.

There she was, floating above the platform. She wobbled unsteadily, but regained her balance quickly.

"You survived," Cyrus breathed. "Ah well— that won't last."

Cyrus shot a ghost ray at Sam, who turned intangible to avoid it.

_Wait_.

Suddenly, Danny felt like the biggest idiot ever. Changing back into a human, he became intangible himself, slipping out from under Cyrus' foot.

Danny then turned back into a ghost and flew over to where Sam was.

"You're outnumbered, Cyrus," Sam said, smiling as Danny came to hover next to her.

"Any last words?" Danny said.

Cyrus' mouth was hanging open, and he seemed to be struggling for words. Cyrus was doomed and he knew it.

"Very well," Danny said.

Danny threw out a Ghostly Wail, and Cyrus screamed as he was thrown backwards.

The ghost seemed to pause in midair as his clothes ripped off and the ghost himself disintegrated.

"That's it? He's gone?" Sam wondered.

"I sure hope so," Danny said.

The two exchanged a look. They'd been through a lot today. More than anything, Sam just wanted to see Tucker again, for things to go back to normal. Danny was thinking similarly.

"Let's go home," he said, taking Sam's hand as they flew back towards the Fenton Portal.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"So, that's how it happened," Sam said.

It was the next day, and Sam, Tucker, and Danny sat in the Nasty Burger, sipping milkshakes as Danny and Sam recounted their battle with Cyrus.

Tucker looked glum.

"I'm missing out on all the fun these days!" He cried.

"Sorry about that, Tuck," Danny said. "Though I'm not really sure this was as much fun as you think it was."

"Are you kidding? It sounds like you two kicked some serious bad-guy butt!" Tucker said, pantomiming beating up a ghost.

"Well, we _did_ do that," Sam said, smiling at Danny.

"Oh, hey— hot girl at 4:00. Be right back," Tucker said, straightening his glasses before bolting out of the booth.

Danny moved over to sit next to Sam on the other side of the table. It was the first time the two had been this close since the night they kissed.

"We make a pretty good team," Sam commented.

"Yeah, we do," Danny said, smiling.

"Still worried about me?" Sam asked.

"No, I think you can fend for yourself," Danny said. "And if anything happens… well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Sam laughed.

"I'm not sure what this power of yours is, or what you're supposed to do with it," Danny said, "but we'll figure that out eventually. All that matters right now is that you're safe."

"And we're together," Sam said.

They kissed.

All was safe once more in Amity Park.


	7. Author's Note

Dear super-awesome reader,

**Hi there! **

**My name is Emily**, and I'm new here. This is both my first fanfiction on this site and my first Danny Phantom fanfiction_ ever_.

You don't have to read this note if you don't want to. I just decided to put it up for those who are curious.

/I know/ that this story leaves a lot of loose ends untied. So _yes_, **I am considering writing a sequel**. However, I'm going to wait and see what kind of response this one gets before delving into the next one.

Please, if you haven't already, **review**! I love hearing from people! It totally makes my day.

Thanks,

Emily (a.k.a. Emmyrad)

P.S. - Thanks for reading!


	8. Sneak Preview

_**Here's a sneak preview of "Poison," the sequel to "Power."**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_Power can be a poison. Depending on its potency, a little bit of it may be harmless, _

_but any more could do you in._

The camera mounted on the wall pivoted as it watched the students file into the gym. Several of the teens pointed at the camera, which was a new addition to the gym's decor. Some didn't even notice the camera, simply chatting with their friends as they stepped up into the bleachers to take their seats.

For most Casper High students, these new security cameras that now lurked in every corner of the school were a bit unsettling, but nothing to freak out about or dwell on.

Only one student chose to make a fuss about the new cameras, her arms crossed in stubborn resistance as she stomped into the gym.

"I can't believe this!" Sam fumed as she walked up into the bleachers and took her seat next to Danny. "This is totally unreasonable, a complete invasion of our privacy…"

"Don't worry, Sam," Danny said. "Tucker's going to hack into the cameras and… you know. Fix this."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Danny," Tucker said, huddled over his PDA. "I can't seem to shut them down. Maybe if I got a little closer to the source…"

"You can't, Tucker," Sam said, still seething. "You know we're not allowed to leave the gym during a school assembly."

It was a Monday morning, and the entire Casper High student body had been called into the gym for a special assembly. Most of the students were betting that it was about the new security cameras installed over the weekend.

"You really can't hack into the cameras?" Danny asked Tucker.

"Sorry, dude," Tucker said, putting down his PDA with a sigh. "They're state of the art."

"This is ridiculous!" Sam cried. "Why aren't you two freaking out? Do you realize how hard this is going to make it for us? Danny can't go ghost when he's constantly being watched by _security cameras_! Not to mention the fact that this is a total invasion of our privacy! Casper High is one of the smallest, safest public schools you could find! Why in the heck do we need _security cameras?_"

"Calm down, Sam," Danny said, watching Sam anxiously. Ever since Sam had developed ghost powers a couple of months ago, Danny had been keeping an especially close eye on her. He feared that if she got too worked up, she could really hurt somebody with what Tucker had dubbed her "ghostly telekinesis."

"I will _not _calm down!" Sam said. "Don't you see? This is so stupid, so uncalled for, so…"

"Vlad,"Danny said.

"Huh?" Sam and Tucker said in unison.

Danny pointed to the back of the gym, where Vlad Masters now stood, smiling up at the three teens in the bleachers menacingly.

"What the heck is _he _doing here?" Tucker said, scowling.

"Isn't it obvious?" Danny sighed. "He probably paid for the cameras. He did this to us."

"Why?" Tucker asked.

"Who knows?" Danny said. "To spy on me, to make it so that I can't go ghost easily… who cares? All I know is that he's going to pay."

"That's right, Danny," Sam said, now glaring at Vlad. "But wait until after the assembly. I'd like to see what our principal has to say about this."

Danny nodded in Sam's direction, not daring to take his eyes off Vlad. Obviously, his arch-nemesis had something up his sleeve…

Suddenly, the gym lights dimmed, and the spotlight shone on the middle of the gym, where a makeshift stage had been set up. Mr. Lancer stepped onto the stage and took the microphone.

"Hello, students," Mr. Lancer said. "I'm sure you've noticed the new security cameras that have been installed around the school. We're here today in order to give a hearty thanks to the man who provided the money for these gadgets. Please welcome Mr. Vlad Masters!"

Mr. Lancer stepped over to the side of the stage as Vlad came up and took the microphone. Applause greeted Vlad as he waved at the audience.

"Hello, students of Casper High," Vlad said. "As I'm sure you're all aware, I myself attended Casper High when I was your age."

There were murmurs in the crowd; obviously, many were notaware of this. Vlad paid no attention to the whispers and continued speaking.

"My intention is that by providing the school with this security equipment, the school can keep a better eye on certain _problem students,_" Vlad pointedly looked at Danny while he said this, "and make sure that this school stays safe."

Next to Danny, Sam was fuming. Who did Vlad think he was? Sam understood that he wanted to bring Danny down, but did he really have to invade the rest of the Casper High student body's privacy in doing so?

A familiar chilling sensation was spreading through Sam's body, and she recognized it as her Ghost Powers. Part of her told her to calm down and to control her powers, but another part of her really, really wanted to teach Vlad a lesson.

Sam shook her head, trying to shake away the last thought. Sam wasn't normally so… violent. What had come over her?

"I really care about Casper High, and I just wanted to ensure the safety of the students who go here," Vlad said, sounding eerily sincere. "I only did this for you, the students."

Sam fidgeted in her chair, biting her tongue to keep from screaming.

_For us? He did this _for us_?_

Too late, Sam realized that she was over the edge. Her powers overwhelmed her as they pulsated through her body. Her heart seemed to be beating overtime, and her common sense became blurred as adrenaline kicked in.

Sam's eyes shifted up to the ceiling, and all she wanted to do was take it down. She wanted to crush Vlad, to make him suffer.

_No! _The small, sane part of Sam protested. _This isn't you! What are you doing? _

But it was too late. There was a loud rumble as the portion of the ceiling above the stage started to fall.

"Vlad and Lancer looked up, their eyes growing wide as they saw the ceiling above them break into large chunks and come hurtling down at them.

_"Crime and Punishment!" _Mr. Lancer gasped.

Vlad lunged to the side, barely avoiding the crash, but Mr. Lancer wasn't nearly as quick on his feet. The students watched in horror as their teacher was crushed.

Sam flung her hands to her mouth, watching the commotion below as tears started in her eyes.

_Did I just do that? _Sam thought._ Did I really just do that?_

Vlad stood up, brushing himself off, glaring out into the audience angrily. Vlad knew that Danny must have done this, but when he caught the ghost-boy's eyes, he was surprised to find that the boy looked just as surprised as the rest.

Suddenly, Vlad noticed something. The Goth girl sitting next to Danny looked hysterical; her eyes were filled with tears. Could _she _have done this somehow?

Vlad ran outside, quickly going ghost, before turning invisible and flying back inside. He flew over to where the ghost boy sat.

"Where did Vlad run off to?" Danny Phantom said. "Stay here, you two. Sam- we'll talk later."

Sam nodded. Danny ran out of the gym.

"Did- did _you _do that?" Tucker Foley asked, looking at Sam.

Sam nodded.

"I- it got out of hand. My powers have a mind of their own," Sam's voice cracked on the last word. "How could I do this, Tucker? I'm a monster!" Suddenly, the Goth was full-out crying, and Tucker was leaning in to comfort his friend.

Vlad's eyes widened. How was it possible for a mere human to do that? Was she a half-ghost like him and Danny? How was this possible?

Vlad didn't know the answers to any of these questions. Yet.

But he was going to find out.

_**Excited yet? I know I am. Subscribe to author Emmyrad (that's me!) to be alerted when I post it!**_


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